Learn To Love
by Aliski
Summary: "Our marriage is not based on love" He said turning away "Our marriage is based on duty. To bring heir for the throne. No one will address you as Fire Lady, it was Mai's title not yours. You'll bow to me and Mai whenever you see one or both of us. You will fulfill your duty as a Child Barrier and that's it" And he left without giving her so much of a second glance
1. Prologue

"That's it? There's nothing you could do for her? _That can't be it_" The young Fire Lord screamed at the healer.

The healer, just a shade darker from a corpse, shook his head and gulped. "N-no. I'm sorry Fire Lord there is nothing I co-could do f-for her. I'm afraid she had been p-poisoned. The poison had prevented her from being pregnant, and she'll be weak." He stammered

"So then… that's it? Right? That's it." The most powerful man in the Fire Nation said silently, and the healer noted silently that his silent was scarier than he had when he was screaming at him.

"I'm afraid so, my lord"

"What will the Fire Sages said to me?! AH! We can't bear a child. She can't bear a child" He runs his delicate fingers through his already messy top-knot.

The old healer gulped and raised his hand "Well, there is one…"

"Maya! Maya! Where are you? I have big news for you!"

The girl, no older than 19, sighed as she continued to ignore the old woman's voice calling for her. _When I'll be married later, I'll marry because of love _She thought as she stared at the two young couple laughing happily from her window that is until the door swung open with a violent hearing slam.

"Great news! I just got letter from the palace, from the fire lord!" Her mother already in her sixties, she noted silently, still had the spirit of a teenager.

"The Fire Lord?" Her curiosity got the better of her

"U-huh" She said waving the red scroll, with the Fire Lord seal at her.

"For who?"

"For you!" She nodded eagerly and gave the scroll to her

She hastily open it and read it silently, and her eyes grew as big as a size of a plate "I-I'm getting married?"

"YES!"

"To be the Fire Lord's second wife?"

"YUP"

"But… what happened to Fire Lady Mai?"

"It turns out that she had been sick and that she can't bear a child. So the Fire Sages instructed him to find a second wife. _But, _since his first was his choice not an arranged one, the Fire Sages had the power to pick the bride. And that is you!"

"There's no way to refused it, isn't it" She mumbled only for her ears to hear "Well then I guess, I'm getting married then." _And there goes my last chance of happiness._

**Ollo guys! So this is just a random idea that i had. This story takes place after the war, when the gaang are finally settling in when everything starts to fall back in to places, or so he thought for Zuko. It's just a prologue, i promise you the chapter will be longer, Thank you for your time in reading the Prologue of Learn To Love. If you just click the cute little button down here... it'll be amazing. I'm all open for ideas or correction.**

**Bye! **


	2. Chapter 1

The girl stared at her lap, with mouth drawn in to a thin line, fist clenched on her side, trying her hardest to not to cry. She thanked Agni, silently, for not letting anyone noticed her strange behavior. Yesterday her parent, both from a high ranked noble family, and had invited all her relative, friends, and acquaintance in honor of the soon to be bride. And she just can't think of anything other thing than how wrong it was.

"Congratulation!" They all said to her, every once in a while. And all the response she will give them was a small nod and a forced smile.

Today she will meet her soon to be husband, and not to mention his _wife, _in fact she was already half way to the palace. After that she will officially move to the palace with her family. And a week after that, she'll be a married woman. Just how fast could it be?

Her heart couldn't stop beating in her chest, despite her disagreement to this marriage. _What kind of man the Fire Lord really is? Will the Fire Lady accept me? _And the question that she most feared _Will he loves me?_ Questions swarmed her mind that she found it rather impossible to even listen to her mother's talking.

The carriage stopped so suddenly when her mother said, "Smile Maya." Her mother was blinded by the idea of being the mother in law of the Fire Lord that she didn't even notice her daughter strange behavior.

She sighed, before finally trying to at least look, if not happy then, presentable.

* * *

"Mai… If you don't want me too, I could just pull this off… maybe" He muttered the last word under his breath so only his ear could have heard it.

The Fire Lady was shattered when the healer broke the news to her. She didn't eat, talk or even sleep. Because when she did sleep the image of Zuko loving another girl just couldn't leave her, or the vision of a child running along in the palace only to acknowledge that the child wasn't hers.

She kept her stoic face when everyone was around, even with Zuko. But only then, when she was alone, her façade crumbled and she screamed and screamed until the pain goes, but the problem was, it didn't.

She knew Zuko didn't need any of this, it was hard enough to keep the rebel at bay, and now he had to go through this. So she kept using the mask she wore every day, the emotionless leader. It was destroying her of the thought that Zuko might love somebody else, that someone else was going to carry his baby. Of how _that_ _girl _can produce an heir and _she_ can't.

Taking a deep breath to pushed away the tears she faced her husband, and shrugged "You have to do it, then just do it. This is, after all, is my duty to accept the fact that somebody has to bring the heir to the throne, when I can't do it." Her voice was as monotone as always but deep down inside it was destroying her to say it out loud.

She can feel his intense gaze searching her, before he said "I will always love you no matter what" And then pulled her into a tight embrace before he kissed her fiercely. She can't stop her imagination that Zuko just might say it to the girl, and so she pulled away from him avoiding his gaze.

"Just go, do what you must do. I must rest" she turned away and started walking the opposite direction.

"I heard you cry that day, and every night. If you just open up to me Mai, burn that mask of yours. Just open up to me, and I'll help you. You can get through this, _we _can get through this"

The Fire Lady stopped walking instantly and they stood in silent after that, until a servant came to fetch the Fire Lord "My Lord," He said taking a bow "The… _guest_ had arrived"

Zuko nodded and then turned to face his Fire Lady "Are you sure you don't want to accompany me?"

Mai gave him a hard look and then turned and walked away. It was the girl, her replacement. Only when she knew Zuko couldn't hear her did the tears come rolling down her porcelain cheek.

The Fire Lord mentally scolded himself for asking. Of course Mai wouldn't, what was he thinking? He heard Mai's scream of hopelessness, anger, pain the day the healer broke the news. He saw Mai cried silently every night when she thought he was sleeping. Of course he knew. But what was bothering him most was the fact that Mai was trying to hide it from him. Why can't she just open up to him like the way she used to be before all this happen?

* * *

He pushed open the door and there she was -his new problem- sitting gracefully in the middle of the room. He must admit by standard she was pretty, with straight brown hair tied in to a high ponytail, eyes like the color of sunset. He was surprised by how much he was glad of when he saw that the girl didn't look practically anywhere near happy; if Mai must suffer then she will have to too. Unlike Mai -who mastered in hiding her emotion -this girl can easily be read; she was close to crying.

Both Zuko and the girl stared at each other, before the girl finally averted her gaze to the floor. Silent passed over them before she finally asked "Will you… love me?" The girl's voice was no more than a whisper, but he can clearly hear the desperation in there

"Our marriage is not based on love" He said turning away "Our marriage is based on duty. To bring heir for the throne. No one will address you as Fire Lady, it was Mai's title not yours. You'll bow to me and Mai whenever you see one or both of us. You will fulfill your duty as a Child Barrier and that's it" And he left without giving her so much of a second glance.

But before he can take another step the girl found her voice and said "Just remember that I do not want this anymore than you do"

He didn't even know why he was being so cruel to her. She wasn't the one who caused this situation; in fact he was the one who dragged her in to this mess; the girl was only chosen because of her lineage. He couldn't even look at her without thinking of Mai, let alone touch her.

And let alone even thinking about the idea of loving her.

**Hey guys! yeah, sorry for the long wait. Tell me what you think, and i may update faster. Sorry if the character (Mai, or Zuko) was a little bit diffrent. Thanks for everyone who reviewed, follows and favs this story. Gah! Who am i kidding i need to find myself a BETA, and while i search, please forgive the spelling or grammar mistakes**

**and ooh.. i almost forgot,**

**I do not own ATLA, cause if i do i will totally make a new season about the aftermath of the war. **

**don't forgot to REVIEW!**


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